EmpowerHER: A Celebration of Women Leaders

Save the Date
March 12, 2027

11:00 AM - 1:30 PM

South Coast Repertory

About the 2026 Event

EmpowerHER: A Celebration of Women Leaders marks Orange County’s inaugural National Girl Scout Day luncheon, held on March 12th, the anniversary of the founding of Girl Scouts in 1912.

This historic gathering launches a new annual Orange County tradition – celebrating extraordinary women whose leadership has shaped our community while investing in the next generation of Girl Scout changemakers.

The focal point of this year's program is the Orange County premiere of Defining Moments, a documentary honoring Frances Hesselbein, the first national CEO of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. and a globally respected leadership figure.

This year’s EmpowerHER event will feature Nella Webster O’Grady as Honorary Chair, recognizing her enduring leadership and profound impact on Girl Scouts of Orange County and the broader Orange County community. Her legacy reflects the leadership values championed by Frances Hesselbein and modeled for the Girl Scouts of today.

Inaugural EmpowerHER Award Recipient

Nella Webster O'Grady

After high school in Guam, Nella Webster O’Grady knew she wanted to come to the mainland, as long as it was someplace where she could bring her surfboard. Orange County fit the bill, and she completed a degree in Economics and Business at Chapman and an M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance from Cal State Long Beach. Throughout her career, Nella has successfully combined sustained, significant contributions to multiple Orange County non-profit organizations with a high-profile career in the financial services industry.

In her business career, Nella Webster O’Grady has managed investment, trust, and financial planning services for clients throughout Southern California. She served in senior executive roles at US Trust, Wilmington Trust, First American Trust, and Ocean Heights Advisors, now part of Mariner Wealth Advisors.

2026 Co-Chairs

Angela Dailey

Founding Partner, DAI Partners, Board Chair; Women Investing in Security & Education

Angela Z. Dailey is the founding partner of DAI Partners, a strategic communications firm specializing exclusively in financial services. Since founding the firm in 1989, Angela has advised leading asset managers, investment banks, and financial institutions on reputation management, media strategy, executive positioning, and crisis communications helping organizations navigate moments of growth, change, and scrutiny.

Prior to founding DAI Partners, Angela spent more than sixteen years at Drexel Burnham Lambert, where she served as Senior Vice President and was one of the first women to sit on the board of a major Wall Street investment bank. As head of the firm’s global communications, she was responsible for advertising, press relations, employee communications, and sales promotion.

Angela is widely recognized for her expertise in crisis management. During Drexel Burnham Lambert’s three-year government investigation, she led the strategy and execution of the firm’s communications efforts, which were nationally recognized as innovative and effective. She was selected by BusinessWeek to lead executive seminars on crisis management and has written extensively on reputation and leadership under pressure.

In addition to her professional work, Angela is deeply committed to advancing financial literacy and leadership for women. She currently serves as Board Chair and a member of the Board of Directors of WISE (Women Investing in Security and Education), a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women of all ages to make informed financial decisions. She has also served on the boards of the YWCA of the City of New York, the Financial Women’s Association, and the Drexel Burnham Lambert Foundation, and was the founding chair of the Securities Industry Association’s Public Information Committee.
Angela is a graduate of Trinity College in Washington, DC. She is bi-coastal, splitting her time between Southern California and New York City. She has two sons, both working in finance.

Maggie O'Sullivan

SVP, Senior Relationship Manager
Global Commercial Banking, LA; Bank of America

Maggie partners with clients to provide the strategic capital and advice they need to grow, while asking: How does this improve the client experience, drive growth, and build a stronger community? As a Senior Relationship Manager for Bank of America’s Global Commercial Bank, Maggie is a highly responsive and strategic partner known for bringing innovative solutions to her clients. Collaborating closely with middle market companies and financial sponsors, she balances risk with opportunity to bring her clients the full, integrated support they need to navigate and thrive in a dynamic environment.

Maggie has an MBA in International Business from the University of South Carolina, and a BA from Michigan State University. She is a 30-year veteran of the banking industry, specializing in growing sales, managing risk, and developing impact strategies. Prior to joining Bank of America, Maggie was an Executive Director at JPMorganChase, where she led national community development strategies for housing access and supply. Maggie’s career began in Detroit, where she worked with a broad range of companies across the Midwest, particularly in the manufacturing sector. When she moved to California, she took on the challenge of establishing the firm’s multinational business on the West Coast, serving subsidiaries of foreign companies. Maggie believes in making a measurable impact on the community, and currently serves on the Boards of the Orange County United Way and Girl Scouts of Orange County.

Christine Scheuneman

Former Girl Scouts of Orange County Board Member; Independent Director and Strategic Advisor

Christine Scheuneman is an independent director and strategic advisor to national and international private and public companies. She is an award-winning leader in innovative and strategic advice. A published author on corporate governance and finance, she is a Governance Fellow with the National Association of Corporate Directors and serves on the Board of the NACD Pacific Southwest Chapter.

Christine serves on the Board of Directors of Farmers and Merchants Bank of Long Beach and the Advisory Board of Simpluris, Inc. She serves on the Advisory Boards at UCI’s Paul Merage Business School Center for Real Estate and the Serenbetz Institute for Women’s Leadership, Social Responsibility and Global Awareness and on the Boards of the Girl Scouts of Orange County and the Orange County United Way. She is the immediate past Chair of the Board of Trustees of Cottey College.

She recently retired as a senior partner with the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. She holds a Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kansas, and an Associate of Arts from Cottey College.

She was an active Girl Scout from Brownies through her college years as a camp counselor. She was a Gold Award Girl Scout and an honored member of the Tribe of the Silver Arrow.

Christine has served on the Board of the Girl Scouts of Orange County.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Yajaira De La Paz at ydelapaz@girlscoutsoc.org.

Save the Date March 12, 2027